United States Drops from #1 to #12 in Postsecondary Degree Attainment, Obama Administration Vows a Comeback

The United States plummeted from 1st to 12th among nations whose 25 to 34 years old earn a postsecondary degree, according to a recent post on The White House Blog. The comments by the Obama Administration provided cited Washington Post and The New York Times articles that reported the nation’s slippage among its international peers.

As the world becomes increasingly more competitive it is important to recognize the crucial role education plays in preparing our workforce. Understanding the need for change, President Obama has instituted a new goal in the hopes of reinstituting the United States as being the leader in postsecondary degrees attainment by 2020.

The Obama Administration highlights various steps in its strategy to meet the postsecondary goal for the nation:

Building more rigorous standards for America’s public education system to ensure that students are college and career ready

Making college more affordable and accessible for students

Strengthening community college systems to provide better programs and training for students

Keeping these goals in mind along with the action steps being implemented to achieve these goals, the White House pledges to once again claim the number one spot in postsecondary graduation rates.